GameChange Solar in MENA: Innovation, Growth, and What’s Next!
Andrew Worden
CEO & Founder, GameChange Solar
- What inspired you to found GameChange Solar, and how has your mission evolved as the company expanded globally?
GameChange Solar was built on a clear understanding of what it takes to deliver solar projects efficiently. Before starting the company, I was involved in developing and executing solar farms, which offered direct insight into project financing, cost drivers, and LCOE optimization. That experience, combined with a background in investments across sectors like steel and fabrication, highlighted a key opportunity in the market – structural systems that could deliver both performance and cost efficiency at scale.
Driven by a need for smarter and more cost-effective alternatives to the dominant offerings at the time, we began by developing fixed-tilt structures in-house. We saw the impact on project economics and expanded into single-axis trackers under the Genius Tracker platform. As we’ve grown into a global player, our mission remains the same, but our impact has multiplied. We're not just deploying technology; we’re enabling energy transitions in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
What’s one personal experience or lesson that has shaped your journey as a founder in the solar industry?
Very early on, I learned that success in this industry comes from staying close to customers, listening carefully, and being willing to adapt, even when it’s not convenient. Some of the most valuable innovations we’ve made at GameChange started as direct responses to customer challenges. That mindset – to serve well, solve fast, and never lose sight of repeat business – has shaped how we operate as a company.
Another lesson is that innovation only matters if it delivers real impact. From the beginning, we made it a priority to ensure our R&D efforts are directly tied to reducing LCOE. That discipline has helped us avoid distractions and build technology that consistently improves outcomes for our partners.
- What drove GameChange Solar’s decision to enter the MENA solar market, and what excites you most about the opportunities in this region?
MENA is about scale and that’s what excites us. Few regions offer the kind of giga-scale solar potential that MENA does. This is a region that isn’t experimenting with solar; it’s committing to it decisively. From Benban in Egypt to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, there’s a clear intent to lead the global energy transition. And being part of that shift is both a responsibility and an opportunity we value deeply.
It’s also a market that demands top-tier performance – your technology, supply chain, and execution must be world-class; and that’s where GameChange delivers. We already have over 3 GW projects in the region; either under installation or recently secured, and we see MENA as a core part of our global growth story.
- How are your solar tracker and fixed-tilt technologies adapted to meet the unique demands of the MENA region?
MENA presents demanding conditions – from high winds to extreme temperatures and our systems are built for that. We have proven performance in similar climates, including hurricane-prone areas like Florida. With a drive system designed to be maintenance-free for up to 40 years and minimal need for on-ground intervention, our technology is well suited for large-scale projects in remote locations.
- Can you share a recent milestone or project in MENA that reflects your company’s growth or innovation?
Egypt is a prime example of how we scale technology that performs. We’re supplying close to 3 GW of tracker systems across multiple utility-scale projects, partnering with top-tier developers and EPCs who value speed, reliability, and precision execution.
What’s stands out isn’t just the volume but how our technology adapts to local realities. One of the projects, for example, integrates robotic cleaning systems that addresses regional challenges like dust accumulation and water scarcity. That’s the kind of region-specific innovation that makes solar more bankable, more efficient, and ultimately, more impactful where it matters most.
- What do you believe will be the key to accelerating solar deployment across MENA in the next 2–3 years?
MENA is at an inflection point. We’re seeing the rapid emergence of green data centers that demand reliable, utility-scale solar backed by intelligent tracking and storage solutions. At the same time, the region is under growing pressure to replace gas-fired power with clean, dispatchable energy that’s cost-competitive and scalable.
But the real catalyst is policy. Governments across MENA are no longer just announcing targets; they’re backing them with frameworks that are bankable, long-term, and investment ready. That combination of demand, technology readiness, and regulatory clarity is what will unlock the next wave of solar growth in the region.
As a global leader, how do you balance innovation, cost-efficiency, and scalability in emerging solar markets like MENA?
What markets like MENA need is not just advanced technology; they need partners who can deliver certainty at scale. At GameChange Solar, we’ve built our model around that principle. The Genius Tracker platform, now with over a decade of proven field performance, was designed from the start to lower LCOE and deliver long-term reliability in the most demanding environments.
But what truly sets us apart is execution. Our global supply chain is engineered for flexibility and speed, enabling us to meet the unique demands of each market without compromising on quality, performance, or cost-efficiency. Our facility in Saudi Arabia builds on that foundation, bringing regional agility, local value, and the capacity to contribute to MENA’s accelerating solar momentum.